Alfred State senior marketing student Elijah Adams was one of 49 SUNY EOP students honored with the Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award for Student Excellence. The award, now celebrating its seventh class of awardees, recognizes outstanding EOP students for their academic merit and perseverance.
“I feel incredibly grateful to be honored with this award,” commented Adams. “If you had told me back in high school when I was failing all my classes and constantly getting kicked out of class that I was going to one day be honored with an award for academic excellence and achievement in college, I would've said that I am probably not the type of guy who would receive such a thing.”
Adams continued, “During my time at Alfred State, EOP has been a chance to succeed in ways that I didn't know I could. It has been a path for me to help impact and provide guidance to those coming after me, and to prove that people who come from where I come from can have success if given the chance and guidance. Most of all, it has been one big family away from home. I enjoy the experiences I get from the freshmen each day.
The honor is named in memory of Norman R. McConney, Jr. (1946–2016), a graduate of the University at Albany and former assistant dean for special programs at SUNY. McConney, alongside former Assembly Deputy Speaker Arthur O. Eve, helped create the EOP as a statewide program.
Educational Opportunity Program Director Nadine Shardlow is incredibly proud to have had the privilege of watching Adams grow into the leader he is. “Elijah was the first student I met when I became the interim director of EOP at Alfred State in June 2023. We met virtually as I was getting ready to take the reins for the summer program. He welcomed me with open arms, and our relationship has been one I will always cherish. Elijah is the epitome of what the EOP program does in supporting the development of the individuals who cease the opportunity they have been given.”
"Over nearly 60 years, SUNY's EOP has supported tens of thousands of students and empowered them to achieve their full potential," SUNY Chancellor King said. "I am honored to recognize this year's recipients of the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. Our McConney award winners' hard work as they move forward on their path to academic excellence and upward mobility makes them an inspiration for all of our students, faculty, staff, and administrators."
State Assemblymember Latrice M. Walker, who delivered the keynote, said, " These students, based on their personal achievements and academic excellence, represent the best and brightest that New York State has to offer. The SUNY Educational Opportunity Program has helped nearly 90,000 students pursue their academic and career goals. As a proud graduate of SUNY Purchase, I was one of those students. The award recipients exemplify what can be achieved when the doors of opportunity swing open, instead of being shut because of one's zip code or economic disadvantages."
Since its inception in 1967, the EOP has provided access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. In its 58-year history, the EOP has served more than 85,000 students and evolved into one of the country's most successful college access programs.
About Norman R. McConney, Jr.
SUNY awards Educational Opportunity Program students for their academic achievements in honor of Norman R. McConney, Jr. due to his legacy of public service, which encompassed several statewide initiatives to benefit underrepresented New Yorkers, including programs to prepare minority high school students for careers in the sciences and medicine and scholarships for students underrepresented in the licensed professions. Mr. McConney is also credited with helping found the Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus, which later became the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus.